Alexei, Abreu in second place in latest AL voting update

Ramirez a close second in All-Star voting behind Jeter at shortstop

By
Scott Merkin
MLB.com

ANAHEIM -- An argument could be made for Alexei Ramirez as not just the White Sox Most Valuable Player through the first two months of the 2014 season, but also a candidate for that same honor in the American League.

Apparently fans are taking notice of Ramirez's success based on the latest round of AL All-Star voting, which was released Sunday.

Derek Jeter leads all shortstops with 1,376,054 votes, but Ramirez stands as a close second with 1,212,362. Ramirez has a sizeable lead over Baltimore's J.J. Hardy, who sits third with 754,764.

Ramirez is not the only member of the White Sox pushing for an AL All-Star starting nod. Jose Abreu, the rookie sensation at first base, trails only Detroit's Miguel Cabrera in the balloting. Cabrera has 1,477,420 votes, giving him a significant advantage over Abreu at 845,059 and Albert Pujols, a mentor to Abreu, at 707,924.

Both Ramirez and Abreu were second at their respective positions during the last round of voting.

Fans can cast their votes for starters at MLB.com and all 30 club sites -- online or on a mobile device -- using the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by Experianuntil Thursday, July 3, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The 2014 All-Star Game will be played at Target Field on Tuesday, July 15.

Fans may submit up to 25 online ballots, but they can also earn a one-time bonus of 10 additional online ballots. To access these additional online ballots, you must be logged into your MLB.com account when you submit any online ballot. If you do not have an MLB.com account, register on the site in accordance with the enrollment instructions for a free MLB.com account.

Fans this year once again can participate in the Home Run Derby Fan Poll. Fans will have the opportunity to select three players in each league who they would most like to see participate in the Home Run Derby. The 2014 Home Run Derby will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Radio in the United States beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 14.

The 2014 American League and National League All-Star teams will be unveiled on the 2014 MLB All-Star Game Selection Show during the weekend of July 5-6, with further details to follow on MLB.com. Immediately following the announcement of the AL and NL All-Star rosters, fans can begin voting to select the final player for each league's 34-man roster via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote Sponsored by Experian. Fans will cast their votes from a list of five players from each league over the balloting period.

The final phase of All-Star Game voting will again have fans participating in the voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet. During the Midsummer Classic, fans will vote exclusively online at MLB.com via the 2014 All-Star Game MLB.com MVP Vote Sponsored by Pepsi, and their voice will represent 20 percent of the overall vote that determines the recipient of the Arch Ward Trophy.

The 85th All-Star Game will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 200 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.

In his seventh season of a successful Major League career, the 32-year-old Ramirez has never been part of an All-Star team. That situation should change in 2014, with Ramirez entering Sunday ranked among the AL leaders in multi-hit games (tied for first, 24), games played (tied for first, 62), average (5th, .321) and hits (5th, 77).

Among AL shortstops, Ramirez sits first in average, homers, slugging percentage and RBIs and falls second in OPS. Abreu, who missed 14 games due to a stint on the disabled list for tendonitis in his left ankle, still finds himself among the AL leaders in slugging percentage (2nd, .604), home run ratio (2nd, 11.29), homers (tied for 3rd, 17), RBIs (6th, 47) and OPS (8th, .918). He has three multi-homer games, eight games with three-plus RBIs and has gone deep off of Cy Young Award winners Clayton Kershaw, David Price and Justin Verlander.